This readathon was originally begun by BooksandLala with the intent of reading a thriller in October. The hosts this year are booktubers BooksandLala, Bookerly, and Peter Likes Books. The rules of this readathon are pretty loose, especially compared to other readathons I’ve been participating in recently such as the NEWTs Readathon. There are five challenges in all this year. One book can count for two or more challenges. And for the fourth challenge – read a book with a spooky word in the title – readers can pick whatever word they feel is spooky. The readathon will be running from October 15, 2018 to 21.
By: Mariko Kioke
Translator: Deborah Boliver Boehm
Release Date: (Original Japanese) 1986; (English) October 11, 2016
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Rating:
I tend to read a lot of horror in the summer, something which probably deserves an article on in itself. The latest scary read I delved into was the novel The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Kioke. This is a book translated from Japanese which tells the story of a young family who moves into an apartment building that overlooks an old graveyard. It is the story of past wrongs, of personal demons better off left buried, and just how far someone is willing to go in order to ignore the bad things in their life or the strange goings on around them.
By: Laura Purcell
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Publisher: Penguin Books
Rating:
I haven’t read a book that made me lay awake at night staring at the ceiling in fear for a very long time. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell is a wonderful book that scared the absolute shit out of me.
By: Hideyuki Kikuchi
Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano
Translator: Kevin Leahy
Release Date: January 18, 2006 (English)
Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing/Dark Horse
Series: Vampire Hunter D
Rating:
These last few weeks I’ve been reading through the Vampire Hunter D series. This week I’ve read Vampire Hunter D Vol 3: Demon Deathchase by Hidekyuki Kikuchi.
By: Hideyuki Kikuchi
Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano
Translator: Kevin Leahy
Release Date: 1984
Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing/Dark Horse
Series: Vampire Hunter D
Rating:
The world of Vampire Hunter D is an intriguing one, an apocalyptic world where tech and the arcane mingle. It’s a place filled with vampires, monsters, and humans who will do anything to survive. It’s a fascinating world, and I enjoyed reading the second volume in this classic series. But, maybe, not as much as I enjoyed the first.
By: Nalo Hopkinson
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Open Road Media
Award: World Fantasy Award for Best Collection (2002); Sunburst Award (2003)
Rating:
I love short story collections. I also love fantasy. So this week I picked up a copy of Skin Folk: Stories by Nalo Hopkinson over on Hoopla. Despite this collection of short stories winning the World Fantasy Award for Best Collection in 2015, I was not familiar with the author or her other works. I was intrigued, and quickly dived into the book. This is a fantastic collection of stories – mostly fantasy, some horror, and a few stories which were written in a more contemporary style.
By: Hideyuki Kikuchi
Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano
Translator: Kevin Leahy
Release Date: March 10, 1983; (English) 2005
Publisher: DH Press
Series: Vampire Hunter D
Rating:
Fun story. I borrowed a copy of Vampire Hunter D from Hoopla. Since Yoshitaka Amano (of Final Fantasy fame) is the artist, something I was aware of earlier, I assumed this was a manga. Not sure why, seeing as Yoshitaka Amano hasn’t illustrated any manga as far as I am aware. (Do correct me if I’m wrong. I’d love to read a manga he’s illustrated.) As it turns out, Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi is a light novel! I love light novels!
By: Go Nagai
Translator: Zack Davisson; Adrienne Beck
Release Date: May 22, 2018
Publisher: Seven Seas
Series: Devilman: The Classic Collection
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:
I love reading classic manga. Too often these are the manga that have shaped the industry we know today, but haven’t been published in English for decades, or sometimes never at all. Now, all that seems to be changing, and I am making sure to read as many as these fantastic manga as possible. Devilman: The Classic Collection Vol 1 by Go Nagai is a fantastic horror manga that has truly stood the test of time.
By: Emilie Autumn
Website: https://www.emilieautumn.com/books/
Release Date: 2009
Publisher: The Asylum Emporium
Rating:
An intriguing cover. An interesting premise. What really made me pick this book? The sale it was included in, for a cheap purchase on my Kindle. Between the sale and the slightly intriguing premise about two women, both trapped in mental asylums centuries apart, I was curious how their stories would connect and intertwine. We’ve all found great stories on the discount cart so why not on the virtual discount cart, right?
By: Billy O'Callaghan
Release Date: May 1, 2018
Publisher: Arcade/Skyhorse Publishing
Rating:
There is nothing quite like a good ghost story. I always seem to stumble upon these, and I am very happy to say that this book was quite the happy accident. This was a last minute pick up at the library, a book that caught my eye on the way to check out a small pile of books. The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan is a beautifully written ghost story that will stay with you long after reading.
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